A Collaboration of the Year – Ulysse Nardin x Urwerk!
A Collaboration of the Year – Ulysse Nardin x Urwerk!
At the 2025 Dubai Watch Week, replica Ulysse Nardin officially announced its collaboration with Urwerk to create the new UR-FREAK Star Wheel watch. Let’s take a look at this groundbreaking masterpiece through stunning photos taken by WatchTime!
Around the turn of the millennium, the watchmaking world was swept by a revolutionary creative storm. At that time, Ulysse Nardin’s FREAK series and Urwerk’s Satellite Hand (Star Wheel) watch emerged, and the two brands, with their exquisite mechanical aesthetics and pioneering design concepts, completely rewrote the traditional time display mode of watches, becoming the most dazzling “twin stars” in this wave of innovation. Therefore, when the two announced their collaboration, although it was surprising, upon reflection it seemed perfectly logical. After all, as pioneers breaking through the traditional time display mode of watches, their collision was a perfect match.
This new UR-FREAK, spearheaded by Ulysse Nardin, is based on the FREAK ONE replica watch and incorporates the core characteristics, mechanical construction, and aesthetic design of both brands. It seamlessly integrates the Ulysse Nardin star wheel display into the core carousel movement of the Fantasy series.
The star wheel has always been recognized by watch collectors as a fascinating time display method. This complex time-telling function, which originated in the 17th century, was originally designed with practicality in mind. Relying on a precision gear mechanism to drive the digital disc, it allowed for quieter operation at night while providing clear and intuitive numerals for quick time reading.
Looking at the star wheel display mode of this new UR-FREAK, Ulysse Nardin first adjusted the rotation period of the entire carousel movement to 3 hours, completing one revolution every 180 minutes. Combined with the 0-60 minute scale on the right side, this creates the unique reading mode of the star wheel. The 360° rotating star wheel in the center of the dial features three striking yellow arrow hands, and each star wheel frame contains different numbers in the 0-12 range. The time reading method is simple and intuitive. The yellow arrow pointing to the minute marker on the right indicates the current minute, while the numbers on the star wheel adjacent to the minute markers indicate the current hour. Even if you are new to star wheel review replica watches, you can easily understand it; it’s very intuitive. The time shown in the picture is 4:31.
The Ulysse Nardin UR-FREAK also retains one of the most distinctive features of the Freaks series: the carousel movement. The large mainspring barrel below the dial directly drives the entire carousel movement. In flagship Freaks, the movement connects to the outer track of the dial via gears in the bar-shaped movement. As the movement rotates along the track, power is precisely transmitted to the gears on the carousel, which in turn power the escapement and balance wheel. All four gears maintain normal operation; this complete transmission logic is the core structural feature of the Ulysse Nardin carousel standard.
To ensure accurate time reading in low-light conditions such as at night, Ulysse Nardin has coated all the numerals, markers, and hands with Superluminova® luminescent material. The numerals and most of the hour markers on the star wheel disc are luminescent in blue, while the hands and key hour markers are luminescent in yellow. This two-tone luminescence creates a clear visual distinction, further enhancing readability in low-light conditions, allowing for quick timekeeping even in complete darkness.
At the center of the dial, a large silicon balance wheel is visible, constantly rotating. The balance spring and escapement are also made of silicon, a source of great pride for Ulysse Nardin. As early as 2001, Ulysse Nardin pioneered the “silicon era” in watchmaking with its Fantasy series, popularizing silicon as a material that requires no lubrication, is lightweight, antimagnetic, and has low temperature sensitivity. Later, they developed DIAmonSil technology, coating silicon with a synthetic diamond coating, significantly improving the material’s durability and making silicon components even more perfect.
Turning the watch over reveals Ulysse Nardin’s exclusive Grinder® automatic winding mechanism, where silicon is extensively used on both the front and back. This special winding system, molded from a single piece of silicon, solves the problem of automatic winding in the Ulysse Nardin series, where the large mainspring occupied the central space of the movement. It also efficiently captures minute movements and converts them into energy through four symmetrical pavers, achieving a winding efficiency more than twice that of traditional winding structures. The UN-241 automatic movement in the UR-FREAK achieves a balance between futuristic design and superior performance, providing a 90-hour power reserve. https://www.reviewluxurystore.com
The UR-FREAK also adheres to the “three-no” design of whimsical watches: no dial, no hands, and no crown. Therefore, the absence of a crown on the side of the watch further enhances the seamless aesthetics of the overall case design.
The 44mm case is molded from a single piece of dark carbon gray sandblasted titanium. This new model is precisely controlled to a thickness of 12mm. The side of the watch retains Ulysse Nardin’s iconic nameplate design, used to engrave the serial number. The “100” in the image above represents that the UR-FREAK is limited.
When the wearer wants to adjust the time, the bezel also serves a practical function. Unlocking the 6 o’clock cover below the bezel allows for rotation to complete the adjustment.
The watch comes with a bespoke rubber strap in URWERK’s signature electric yellow, injecting vibrancy into the overall matte titanium tone of the UR-FREAK collection.
The Ulysse Nardin x UR-FREAK Fantasy Star Wheel watch, a collaboration between Ulysse Nardin and URWERK, has a retail price of 899,100 RMB. It achieves a seamless coexistence of the carousel and star wheel structure through hardcore watchmaking expertise, breaking the limitation of “form over substance” in watch collaborations. Even more remarkably, while carrying complex functions, Ulysse Nardin has also achieved an exceptional wearing experience. With a 44mm case diameter and a slim 12mm thickness, it truly embodies the qualities of a watch that are “visually appealing, enjoyable to wear, and comfortable to play with.” It’s no exaggeration to say that the UR-FREAK Fantasy Star Wheel watch redefines the value of high-end best replica watch collaborations and has become a top-tier collectible sought after by watch collectors.
